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Scott Engel breaks down his Week 7 fantasy football lineup rankings, spotlighting key NFL players to start and tougher lineup start/sit decisions to make.
Welcome to Week 7, RotoBallers! Below you will find some of my spotlight plays and tough lineup decisions for the upcoming week of the fantasy football season.
These player selections are based off my Premium Weekly Lineup Rankings, available as part of the RotoBaller's NFL Premium Pass. Enter promo code KING at checkout for a 10% discount and get access to all of my ranks in all formats, plus a full roster of tools and analysis for the entire 2019 season.
Note that all skill position picks here are based off of my PPR ranks.
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Spotlight RB Starters for Week 7
Tevin Coleman, SF vs. WAS: The 49ers are thriving off their NFC best running game and Coleman is their No. 1 goal line threat. You could see him score as both a runner and receiver this week. He is a seasonal must-start and a very good value DFS play. Matt Breida also deserves strong consideration as both premier 49ers RBs will be high quality options.
Austin Ekeler, LAC vs. TEN: The Chargers cannot depend on Melvin Gordon to supply much ground support right now, and the Titans have been vulnerable to receiving RBs this season. Ekeler could be Philip Rivers’ best mode of moving the ball this week as a slumping Keenan Allen faces a sturdy Titans secondary.
Devin Singletary, BUF vs. MIA: The exciting rookie will make his return from a hamstring injury in a great matchup. Against Miami, Singletary will be capable of scoring from anywhere on the field. The Dolphins may not have a prayer of catching him if he gets to the second level with a surge of momentum.
Spotlight WR Starters for Week 7
Robert Woods, LAR vs. ATL: He has been a disappointment this season and does not have a TD reception. The formula for getting right is to face the Falcons secondary. Woods has been targeted more often than Brandin Cooks and should be the Rams’ best receiving producer other than Cooper Kupp this week.
Calvin Ridley, ATL vs. LAR: How effective Jalen Ramsey will be remains to be seen, but he will likely be locked in a marquee battle with Julio Jones in his Los Angeles debut. Atlanta will gun the ball frequently regardless and Matt Ryan will work to his other prime pass-catchers often.
D.K. Metcalf vs. BAL: The Ravens secondary is starting to come together with new acquisitions, impending injury returns and Earl Thomas adjusting to new schemes. But they aren’t quite in a comfort zone yet, and Russell Wilson will complete a deep strike or two and possibly a TD to his new downfield weapon while winking at his former Legion of Boom teammate.
Spotlight Tight End Starters for Week 7
T.J. Hockenson vs. MIN: The Lions have their prized rookie back, and Minnesota is actually Top 5 in Fantasy Points Per Game allowed to opposing TEs. Hockenson should perform adequately enough to be worth the Week 7 start if you do not have another Top 8 player at the position on your roster.
Darren Fells vs. IND: Usually rostered by NFL teams for his blocking, Fells caught two TD passes in Week 5 and then finished with six catches for 69 yards in Week 6. The Colts have allowed the most FFPG to TEs among AFC teams. When the Texans get near the goal line, their TEs will continue to see important looks.
Spotlight Quarterback Starters for Week 7
Dak Prescott, DAL vs. PHI: The Cowboys QB needs to come through with a quality outing in a very important divisional game. This is about Prescott responding when the team really needs him, and he has the mobility to evade the Philadelphia pass pressure and attack the secondary.
Gardner Minshew, JAC vs. CIN: The Bengals will be without both of their starting CBs and have allowed the most rushing yards to QBs along with two TDs. Minshew is usually respectable for Fantasy purposes and could be outstanding this week. He is a top streaming choice if you need one.
Tough Week 7 Lineup Decisions
Devonta Freeman over Aaron Jones: You would have to figure the Packers go back to Jones this week to get into a positive groove again, and Freeman has been very unreliable as a runner. But we are only speculating and hoping about Jones’ workload, and Freeman should continue to at least be a productive pass-catcher and will have strong TD chances in a high-scoring affair with the Rams.
Miles Sanders over Joe Mixon: The rookie is showing some signs of breaking out as a playmaker, and the Cowboys have allowed the second-most receptions to RBs. Sanders caught three passes for 86 yards and a TD last week. Mixon cannot be used in any matchup right now. Opponents are not even loading the box against him consistently and he is still not producing as needed. The Jaguars also may take him out of the game by building a healthy lead.
Auden Tate over Will Fuller: Tate delivered another promising performance in Week 6, catching five passes for 91 yards. He should at least post respectable numbers against the Jaguars, especially if the Bengals are playing catch-up. Fuller has not totaled 70 yards in a game or scored outside of his big Week 5.
Jamison Crowder over Terry McLaurin: They both have very challenging matchups, but Crowder has a better surrounding cast, while the Bears just have to take McLaurin away or limit him to make the Redskins struggle offensively. The Jets are going to come to play very competitively at home against New England, too.
Dawson Knox over Jimmy Graham: The return of Tyler Kroft may cut into Knox’s snaps, but the rookie has already proven to be a promising pass-catcher and should continue to be involved against Miami. Graham is getting more defensive attention with all the Green Bay injuries at WR, and he is not responding well.
Gardner Minshew over Aaron Rodgers: “Uncle Rico” is a Top 12 Fantasy starter this week. Rodgers has a depleted receiving crew and the Packers are more run-heavy under Matt LaFleur. The Oakland defense has not been terrible either, and it could be a low-scoring game between the Packers and Raiders.
